How To Juggle Multiple Jobs (And How To Enjoy It!)

07/14/2016 03:12 pm ETUpdated
Jul 15, 2017

Whether out of necessity or out of desire, people are working more jobs than ever. Millennials are leading this trend but older generations are doing this as well. Some simply find the energy to keep working, others have to keep working after the 2008 recession left them without as much passive income as they had predicted. Whatever the reason and whatever your age, this post will help you juggle multiple jobs.

Find Dissimilar Jobs
Working dissimilar jobs is great because you aren't doing the same thing at every job. This means you'll have more energy. One job will use a certain skill set and another job will use another. Even if you work both jobs in the same day, you'll likely have much more energy than if you only did one job. Sometimes a mix of a physical job and a desk job is just the mix people need in order to work many hours in the day.

Cut Your Commute
Commutes are dangerous because they cut down on the amount of time you can work each day. After all, when you're commuting, you're making $0. That's not good at all. So make sure the jobs you're working are pretty close together. And the closer to home, the better. Because what happens with some people who work multiple jobs is they are gone from home for 12 hours per day. But they only get paid for working 9.5 hours. That's a huge difference in income.

Use the Marketplace for Healthcare
If you have a string of part-time jobs, that usually means you don't have employer healthcare. If that's the case, consider shopping the health insurance marketplace. There's a good chance you'll be eligible for government assistance if your income is low enough. Although if you earn too little, you won't get government assistance unless you apply and are eligible for Medicaid. So if you're working multiple jobs, you don't want to make too much or too little if you want assistance with healthcare. Although earning more money is always preferable to receiving assistance on healthcare.

Mentally Prepare Before Starting Each Job
Each job comes with new bosses, new coworkers, a new location, perhaps a new uniform - a new everything. That's why it's important to mentally prepare before starting each new position. Remind yourself what the certain position is like. Basically tell yourself, "Okay, it's Tuesday. That means I'll be working at Applebee's. The manager is very hands off so only speak to him if you have questions. If you need help from the kitchen, talk with Mark or Sam. Remember to wear your comfortable shoes."

Conclusion
There was a time in my life where I worked four jobs - sometimes all in the same day. It's not easy working multiple jobs but having multiple streams of income is always enjoyable.

Some people really excel when working multiple jobs. If this is you - excellent. If this isn't you, consider getting a full-time job that fits your personality better. And remember that you won't be able to do anything well unless you enjoy it. So always have fun!